I’m just leaving the Netherlands and Bernardus Golf, where we had team practice the last two days.
With two qualifying tournaments left and still a lot on the line, I brought 11 girls to the Solheim Cup venue this week to play the course and hang out together.
I’m excited to see a lot of the hard work and planning fall into place and now the Solheim Cup is only two months away, you can tell everyone is getting a little more serious about it – both the excitement and anticipation is building.
I was joined by my vice-captain Anne van Dam and team helper Becky Brewerton in the Netherlands. It sure takes a village to make this happen and I am very grateful for everyone offering their help and support to Team Europe.
I admire everyone’s energy and enthusiasm coming here, especially coming here straight after playing our fourth major of the year, the Amundi Evian Championship, last week!
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Highlights from the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship, where Haeran Ryu claimed victory in dramatic fashion
As a European, we all embrace this time of year “finally” coming home for a European stretch of tournaments and being able to go home in between the tournaments.
We had a lot of European success at the Evian and I’m looking forward to following the girls for the final two qualifying events, the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open and the AIG Women’s Open.
The team will be finalised on Monday August 3, with my four captain’s picks announced in the Sky Sports studio in London that day. There are a lot of hard phone calls ahead of me to make!
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Take a look back at some of Anna Nordqvist’s best shots from her previous Solheim Cup appearances
I’ll deliver both good news to the players making it and not such good news to the players not getting a spot on the team this year. We are now one step closer to the event and that is very exciting.
Anna Nordqvist’s column was provided by the Ladies European Tour ahead of the Solheim Cup, live from September 11-13 on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.
Team Europe as it stands and qualification explained
The European Team consists of the top two players in the European Solheim Cup Team points standings, the top six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not already eligible, and four captain’s picks.
European Solheim Cup Team points standings are based on points earned in Ladies European Tour sanctioned events, with Charley Hull and Chiara Tamburlini currently occupying those places.
The next six available players via their world ranking are Lottie Woad (world No 5), Maja Stark (world No 24), Celine Boutier (world No 31), Carlota Ciganda (world No 43), Linn Grant (world No 45) and Esther Henseleit (world no 51).
Next week’s ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open and the AIG Women’s Open are the only remaining qualification events to earn points, with Helen Briem (132 points) and Agathe Laisne (111 points) the next two in the European Solheim Cup Team standings.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (No 61) and Leona Maguire (No 82) are the next two players in the world rankings, with Nordqvist confirming her team next month. Team USA will name their line-up after the CPKC Women’s Open on August 23.
